Contacts

Water Billing Information

Joseph Yannuzzi

After Hours & Emergencies

FAQ

If you are a property owner you must pay your bill in full in order to prevent service shut off. If you believe your meter reading is not accurate you should call the City Treasurer's Office on how to proceed.
If you believe you have a justifiable reason for non-payment of your water bill you may request a hearing on the matter pursuant to the City of Binghamton Code Section 405-52.C. Please note that simply not having adequate funds is not a justifiable reason for non-payment.
Your request for a hearing must be in writing, sent by certified mail to the City Treasurer and be post-marked not less than five days prior to the shut off date listed in the notice.

If you are a property owner you must pay your bill in full in order to prevent service shut off. If you believe your meter reading is not accurate you should call the City Treasurer's Office at (607)772-7027 on how to proceed.

If you believe you have a justifiable reason for non-payment of your water bill you may request a hearing on the matter pursuant to the City of Binghamton Code §405-52.C. Please note that simply not having adequate funds is not a justifiable reason for non-payment.

Your request for a hearing must be in writing, sent by certified mail to the City Treasurer and be post-marked not less than five days prior to the shut off date listed in the notice.

If a landlord pays your water bill, you should contact them about payment of the building’s delinquent water bill. If you cannot reach your landlord, you are encouraged to contact a local service organization, such as the Department of Social Services or Volunteers of America. If you find yourself in this situation and you are a Binghamton University student, you are encouraged to contact the Office Campus College.

If you are a tenant and water service is included in your rent, you have the right to request a hearing on your own behalf to keep water service to the property. At the hearing you must be able to provide proof that:

1.) Your landlord is responsible for water bills, and

2.) Rent was paid to the landlord.

If you are able to provide proof of this, the hearing officer can prevent service shut off to the property if you agree to be responsible for all future water bills for as long as you are a tenant at the property. A copy of future water bills will be sent to both the landlord and the tenant.

Pursuant to New York State Real Property Law §235-a if you are a tenant living in an apartment building containing three or more units and you pay for water service as part of your rent, you may avoid water shut off by the City by paying the delinquent water bill in full and deducting the bill from future rent.

If you are a tenant living in a single or two-family home and you pay for water service as part of your rent, you may wish to consult with private counsel on what legal remedies you have.

This is almost always due to painting, wood finishing or new carpeting. It is the very small amount of chlorine dioxide in the water combining with the organic vapors from the new paint, varnish or carpet.

If it has cleared up, it is safe to drink. Even when rust colored, there is still residual chlorine, and the water is microbiologically safe, although not aesthetically acceptable. The concentration of iron necessary to impart color is small, and not a health concern.

Often, it is because the City portion, or the private portion, or both portions of the service pipe is old galvanized steel that is badly corroded. Sometimes, it is because the house plumbing is inadequately sized, or also corroded galvanized steel. Otherwise, there are a number of possible reasons that we investigate.

Water/Sewer bills can be paid with a credit card or electronic on-line at the Online Payments page. There is also payment kiosk installed on the 2nd floor of City Hall where you can use a credit card to pay water/sewer bills.